What's going through the minds of Bears players on the roster bubble ahead of Thursday's exhibition finale?

Tracy Robertson, Jordan Lynch and other Bears roster hopefuls get their last roster chance against the Browns.

Tracy Robertson sat alone at his locker Monday and took his time. He scanned the room for about 10 minutes while players moseyed by, headed to or from the weight room, the trainer's room or, perhaps, a meeting. The defensive tackle briefly chatted with a teammate, tied his shoes and got back to watching.

In some ways, it was business as usual at Bears headquarters. But for players on the roster bubble such as Robertson, they were moments worth cherishing.

Twenty-two Bears players will lose their roster spots by 3 p.m. Saturday, the NFL's deadline for finalizing the 53-man team. Thursday night's road exhibition against the Browns is the last chance for players to make a favorable impression.

Next week presents a great unknown. Those clawing for roster spots can't be sure where they will be living, where their next paycheck will come from. As difficult as it might be to ignore that, Robertson and teammates in limbo believe doing so is essential to punctuating their candidacies with strong performances.

"It's always stressful, just not really being sure about where you're at," said Robertson, who has been signed and released by the Texans, Lions, Patriots, Dolphins and Bears since he was undrafted out of Baylor in 2012.

"The thing that helps me a lot is to focus on that day. If I compile a couple of good days, they'll look at my overall body of work. And I've been showing up. All I can do is keep being positive because negative energy will compound it."

Final cuts are one of the worst times on the NFL calendar. The prospect of lost jobs, of uncertain futures, of failure, creates a pall. The anxiety can be toxic.

Each player can do the math if he so chooses. Bears general manager Phil Emery has discussed keeping nine or 10 defensive linemen. Right now they have 14.

David Bass isn't counting. The defensive end learned not to after his experience as a rookie last August with the Raiders. The seventh-round draft pick was waived during the last round of cuts.

"My mindset was make it, don't get cut," he said. "I didn't want my family to see I'm cut. I don't want my friends to see I'm cut. I don't want being cut myself because I'm so competitive. But I think I was worried about that way too much.

@bubbamike_01 Last preseason the Seahawks spanked the Chargers (31-10), Broncos (40-10), and Packers (17-10). All 3 made the playoffs. The preparation, mental attitude, and adrenaline rush are completely different in the regular season.

"I need this year to just stay focused and stay in my own lane. (If you) stress yourself out, you don't play your own game."

Players' outlooks are similar throughout the roster, but maintaining focus on the job and ignoring the uncertainty comes easier to some than others.

Rookie Jordan Lynch wasn't fazed this week even though the roster numbers simply aren't in his favor. Fellow long-shot running back Senorise Perry has impressed coaches with his return ability on special teams, which makes Lynch's odds even steeper.

But the former Northern Illinois quarterback simply seemed grateful for the chance to play extensively Thursday after not carrying the ball in either of the last two exhibitions.

"Tune all that stuff out and do what you have to do," he said. "It will take care of itself."

Lynch openly contemplated life on the 10-man practice squad, which seems a reasonable destination as the Bears take the long view of his position change.

"The more reps I can get, the better," Lynch said. "I feel like being on a practice squad, there's so many things I can do. I can play quarterback. I can play running back. I can kind of split out and play receiver and just give the Bears any chance to get a better look for that week."

Robertson, on the other hand, wants no part of that.

The Bears are his fifth NFL team since entering the league in May 2012. He broke through in November when the Bears signed him to their active roster, but he lasted only a week and reverted to the practice squad.

At his locker Monday, he reflected on past disappointments.

"A lot of it has to do with the people you surround yourself with, even guys on the team," he said. "It might be some that are not as good with handling pressure, so I kind of want to stay away from that."

So Robertson isolated himself this week, even from friends such as Bass and second-year defensive end Cornelius Washington.

And with the Browns set to play their starting offense early in the game, the opportunity for players to showcase their skills is magnified. There's too much at stake to risk any distractions.

"They're putting a lot on this, and of course I'm confident in myself," Robertson said. "I feel like I belong here."

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